The Last of the Mohicans

Natty Bumppo, Chingachgook, and Uncas are close-knit, despite their cultural and racial differences. In what ways does Natty (and/or the narrator) show respect for Chingachgook and Uncas? In what ways does Bumppo comment on the racial or cultural differences between himself and the Mohicans, and why?

Wilderness and the frontier are key concepts in The Last of the Mohicans. In what ways do parts of the novel exemplify the classic humans versus nature type of plot? In what other ways does nature play key roles in the novel?

Sisters Alice and Cora have very different personalities. Discuss some examples of how each sister is able to act independently, and other examples of how their independence is constrained in one or more ways. What do these possibilities and constraints suggest about them as individuals, and/or about the world of Cooper’s novel?

The Last of the Mohicans depicts various kinds of affections, from friendship, to romantic love, to respect for diverse cultures. Which of these seems most integral to the novel? Does the depiction of various kinds of affections heighten the novel’s key themes? Why or why not?

Analyze one or more of the scenes of a character in disguise, such as when Bumppo wears the bear costume, Heyward poses as a medicine man, or Gamut pretends to be the captive Uncas. Do you find these scenes believable? Why or why not? In what way do these scenes add to or detract from the novel?

Analyze Tamenund’s speech at the end of Chapter 33, which concludes Cooper’s novel. Does the speech effectively end the novel? In what ways does it touch one key themes in the novel, or, in what ways does it fail to address the ideas the novel has raised? In what ways does the speech comment on the fate of Native Americans in the time between 1757 and the publication of the novel?

There are a few instances of humor in The Last of the Mohicans, such as when the narrator mentions Gamut snoring loudly when his group is hiding out in the cavern at Glenn’s falls. What do you think moments like this add to the otherwise dramatic novel? Do you think they are appropriate? Why or why not?

Briefly research the 1757 siege of Fort William Henry. What aspects of the siege does Cooper’s novel portray realistically? What liberties does it take with historical accounts of what happened? Do you think that The Last of the Mohicans is a successful attempt at a historical novel?